Lisa Stockton, Tulane women's basketball team make all the right moves

If Brittany Lindsey's freakish season-ending shoulder injury did not stir some doubt that luck was on Tulane's side, Brett Benzio's nagging foot or Chassity Brown's broken hand must have surely done the trick.

Matthew Hinton/The Times-PicayuneTulane women's basketball coach Lisa Stockton used a five-guard lineup that ultimately worked to her team's advantage.Before the season, it would have been to safe to assume that if the Green Wave had any hope of winning a Conference USA championship, those three standouts would have to deliver.

But while Brown, a guard and the team's leading scorer, returned weeks ahead of schedule, Lindsey, a power forward, played in just six contests, and Benzio, a center, was in and out of the lineup for more than a month.

Despite their absences and some major strategic shakeups, the Green Wave on Wednesday night locked up the outright conference championship, putting an exclamation point on arguably Lisa Stockton's best coaching performance of her 16-year Tulane career.

“She's a great coach,” said Brown, who missed two games in January. “We just try to stay focused, and she helps us to stay positive and not worry about the injuries and things that we've gone through this year. She just wanted us to stay motivated and for us to just play our best. And that's what we did.”

Nevertheless, Stockton, who has won four Conference USA regular-season titles, found herself working harder than ever on X's and O's.

Her top concern entering the season was the team's lack of frontcourt depth. The situation turned dire once Lindsey and Benzio were sidelined. Lindsey was injured in the closing seconds against Prairie View A&M on Dec. 4 when she was struck in the right arm by a hard inbound pass. A December MRI revealed Benzio was in danger of developing a stress fracture on her right foot, forcing Stockton to limit the 6-foot-3 sophomore's playing time.

Tulane also this season was without 6-foot-1 freshman Chantel McDonald, who was redshirted because her recovery from knee surgery as a high school senior was going slowly.

In response, Stockton turned to a five-guard lineup that included no starter taller than 5 feet 9. At times, junior Tiffany Aidoo found herself defending players as much as 7 inches taller.

Stockton also implemented offenses that did not require a presence in the post, emphasized double-teaming opponents' taller players and tried to take advantage of her squad's speed by pressing more on defense.

“This is probably the first season I ever remember where we had to totally reinvent ourselves in the middle of the season,” Stockton said.

“We really had to look at what our strengths were and where we could cover up our weaknesses. … One of the easiest things has been they've bought into everything we've done. Whatever changes we've made, they've accepted them, they've worked at them.”

Oddly enough, the five-guard lineup seemed to work to Tulane's advantage. Several opposing coaches said they struggled to find ways to match up against the speedy, aggressive Green Wave, which opens Conference USA Tournament play Tuesday.

Many of those same coaches also applauded the Green Wave for the way it hustled for loose balls and rebounds. That fast-paced, high-energy effort starts with Stockton, players said. She demands her team to practice at the same tempo it uses on game days.

“She always in practice tries to make us go hard and tries to push our energy and match everybody's energy,” Brown said. “She's always talking about energy, about how we need to go out there and just play hard.”

That determination has been especially noticeable on defense. The Green Wave leads Conference USA in scoring defense (60.2 ppg) and steals (12.3 per game) and is fourth in field goal defense (38.9 percent).

Brown and Roshaunda Barnes, the team's fastest guards, both are ranked in the top 18 in the nation in steals.

Meanwhile, some players who were not expected to have major roles before the season have emerged as key contributors.

Aidoo, a junior, was thrust into the starting lineup when Lindsey was injured. She is averaging 9.9 points per game and leads the team in 3-pointers and 3-point percentage.

Danielle Nunn, a Texas Christian transfer in her first season playing for Tulane, became a starter while Benzio was out but has remained in the lineup despite the center's return. Nunn has scored in double figures in 18 games and leads Conference USA in field goal percentage (55.2 percent).

True freshman guard Olivia Grayson, a Chapelle product, also began the season as a reserve but has started 16 games and is averaging 8.7 points. She has been coming off the bench now that Benzio is starting again.

“I think (the conference championship is) rewarding because I've seen the players grow and improve, and I've seen them use their strengths,” Stockton said. “There are so many teams where you feel like people have underachieved, but this team has used its strengths.

“I think there are (past) championships that I'm really proud of the team, but this is probably one they earned as much as any championship I've been a part of.”

The focus for Tulane now shifts to earning a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Stockton is no stranger to the event, having led teams there her first nine seasons in New Orleans.

But the Green Wave has not reached the tournament since 2003, even despite winning 26 games and the Conference USA title in 2006-07.

“I'm really hungry for it,” Stockton said. “I think this team is very hungry for it. Life has changed a lot since we've been back. Our conference has changed. The selection process has changed. It's a lot harder for Conference USA to get into that tournament. We've been close, but we just haven't been able to get in and get that respect.”